The Benefits of Honeymoon Registries
With more couples shouldering a sizable portion of the costs for their weddings, fewer and fewer are left with the money to have the honeymoon they truly desire. As an alternative, some couples are opting for honeymoon registries.
Honeymoon registries are also a good choice for couples who have already been living on their own for a number of years and don't need the typical gifts given to newly married couples, such as stemware and gravy boats.
Basically, a honeymoon registry works like other types of gift registries. You create your registry with a travel agent or with an online site (remember to investigate the sites carefully before you sign up), then plan the honeymoon you want. Your plans can include the costs of transportation, accommodations, dining, entertainment, and more. You choose everything you want and your registry provider maintains this list.
Generally, the registry provider will then break down the large totals into more manageable gift amounts. For example, if the airfare costs $5000 then the provider may break the total down into 25 segments of $200 each. The provider will try to have a wide range of financial choices available so that any guest will be able to find a way to contribute to your wonderful trip.
Instead of going to a store to pick a gift, your wedding guests can contact the travel agent or visit the web site. They'll see a list of all the parts of your honeymoon package and can choose which segments to pay for.
If all parts of your honeymoon costs end up being covered and you have excess cash gifts from your guests, your registry provider may hold these funds as well. These gifts can then be converted into travelers' checks or the currency of your destination to help you cover the costs of incidentals and souvenirs.
If parts of your honeymoon costs are not completely covered, then hopefully you have read the fine print for your agreement. Some providers will require you to foot the cost for whatever was not paid for already. Others will allow you to change your plans or remove items in order to better fit your budget. Either way, you may want to be realistic when you're planning your fabulous honeymoon. Otherwise, you might end up unable to enjoy your great trip because you can't afford the bill.
Some of the registry providers will also provide you with a list of guests and their purchases which will be useful when it comes time to start putting together your thank you cards.
Before you set up your honeymoon registry, you should shop around, particularly if you are going to use an online provider. Some providers require setup fees costing several hundred dollars. Others charge interest on the costs of the plans you've put together unless you spend more than $5000. A few have no extra fees at all. You really need to look around and compare what the sites offer and require before making a choice.
Some couples choose to forgo a honeymoon registry and just request cash gifts from guests instead of registering anywhere. The problem is that you won't know until after the wedding how much money you have to spend on the honeymoon so this makes planning difficult. Plus, some guests don't like to give money as a gift but wouldn't object to contributing to the costs of a honeymoon.
If you're not interested in picking out china patterns but you are interested in having a fantastic honeymoon you might not otherwise be able to afford, then a honeymoon registry may be the right choice for you.
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